The connotations of botho philosophy and its potential contribution towards environmental conservation: the case of Tlokoeng community in Lesotho

Abstract

This paper explores innovative environmental education strategies to conserve biodiversity in a rural-based context, in Lesotho. A case study approach was employed to investigate the community’s conception of botho philosophy and how it might promote nature conservation. Focus Group Interviews were conducted with 105 participants. The responses were analyzed to determine the community’s emerging definition and conception of botho. The findings indicate features of botho that parallel the ones that are found in the literature. In addition, botho was described metaphysically as a holistic spiritualised worldview that is concerned with a harmonious co-existence with others, nature and the Creator and empirically, in terms of moral attributes that foster co-existence within the socio-economic and natural systems. It is illustrated that botho can contribute towards environmental education discourse and nature conservation and thus diversify the pre-dominantly Euro-centric knowledge landscape in Lesotho.

Keywords:

• botho philosophy
• knowledge diversity
• indigenous knowledge
• nature conservation
• environmental education

Funding

This work was supported by the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme.

Notes

1. Sesotho is language spoken by the people of Lesotho and parts of the Republic of South Africa Tšepo Mokuku is a Senior Lecturer in Science and Environmental Education. His current research interest is in the contribution of African epistemologies in sustainability discourse in relation to pedagogy, biodiversity conservation and whole-community development. He has published a number of journal articles and book chapters in environmental education.